This invention relates in general to computer user interfaces and more specifically to a method for displaying multiple connections between nodes in a network topology display in a computer user interface.
Computer graphics has become an important application for computer systems. The ability to clearly and effectively display information in a graphical form has spawned many useful computer programs such as for computer-assisted drawing (CAD), electronic and microelectronic circuit layout, network topology display and network management, etc.
Although many applications exist which effectively use computer graphics to provide an efficient user interface, problems arise due to the ever-increasing complexity and density of the information to be displayed. For example, today""s networks have many components, or nodes, including servers, disk arrays, routers, hubs, switches, clients, etc. Each node may have several, or many, connections to other nodes. While it is useful to provide a comprehensive graphical image about the network, including all of the nodes and connections, such a task is made difficult because of a limited display area, limited resolution, desire to show a large part of the network in a small area, etc.
The task of providing an accurate, comprehensive picture of an interconnected system, such as a network, becomes even more difficult where the user needs to know the exact count of connections between two nodes and when the user must know whether lines are electrically coupled to each other or are merely crossing each other because of display limitations.
Prior art approaches include allowing a user to xe2x80x9czoomxe2x80x9d in, or out, from a picture to show more or less detail. This allows a user to zoom out to make the picture small for purposes of obtaining an overall (but imprecise) view of an interconnected system. The user can then zoom in to see details of a smaller part of the systemxe2x80x94such as to determine the exact number of lines (i.e., connections) between two components or nodes.
However, the ability to zoom in and out requires the user to issue one or more commands. Thus, the zooming approach places a burden on the user. The requirement to issue commands by, for example, moving a mouse pointer and clicking on a menu or icon; using a hotkey on a keyboard, etc., can make obtaining desired information from a network picture very unpleasant and time-consuming.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a system and method that improves upon one or more of the shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention uses different visual representations for a single connection and multiple connections. If there is only a single connection between nodes then a simple line is used. If there are multiple connections between nodes then a line that terminates in a xe2x80x9cfork,xe2x80x9d or small U-shape symbol, is used to indicate a multiple connection line. The termination symbol, or xe2x80x9cconnection endpoint symbol,xe2x80x9d is adjacent to a node at each end of the line. In general, many types of symbols can be used. For example, a square, diamond, or other basic shape can be used as the connection endpoint symbol. Also, the invention provides for a symbol to be adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, a node. For example, the number of connections represented by a line can be shown near the node, or connection, to which the number relates.
A feature of the invention provides for details of the multiple connection line to be displayed upon user selection. If a user moves a pointer in the vicinity of a multiple connection line then a text box appears that describes the actual number of connections represented by the multiple connection line. Other information can be provided by the text. box.
In one embodiment the invention provides a method including steps of obtaining connection information about a first node interconnected with a second node; displaying the first node on a display screen; displaying the second node on the display screen; if there is a single connection between the nodes then performing the step of displaying a first connection endpoint symbol on the display screen adjacent to both the first and second nodes; and if there are multiple connections between the nodes then performing the step of displaying a second connection endpoint symbol on the display screen adjacent to both the first and second nodes.